>Oscar Wilde Quotes

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“America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between.”

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”

“Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.”

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”

“The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.”

“I am not young enough to know everything.”

“The heart was made to be broken.”

“Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.”

“The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it.”

 “Who, being loved, is poor?”

August

Despite the incredible devastation to my tomato plants by an enormous hornworm I’m still able to collect a fair share of tomatoes (click here to see a picture of the scary hornworm in action). This was today’s collection, there’s more to come yet…looks like there’s tomato sauce in my future this summer after all…although probably not enough to last me through the winter.

>August

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Despite the incredible devastation to my tomato plants by an enormous hornworm I’m still able to collect a fair share of tomatoes (click here to see a picture of the scary hornworm in action). This was today’s collection, there’s more to come yet…looks like there’s tomato sauce in my future this summer after all…although probably not enough to last me through the winter.

Zippy Little Bike

I’ve mentioned in previous posts that I have 5 bikes but really only ride 3 (an old Raleigh and a tandem sit in my basement). My Mundo is my main bike in the summer, the Mule is my main bike in the winter, and the Dahon is my in between bike…meaning I ride it to work most days (it’s easy to store), take it to Toronto with me, and occasionally zip around town on it. And “zip” is a good word because with it’s short wheel base it feels quite zippy. Some days I’ll come home from work and switch from riding my really little bike to my really big bike…talk about contrast in rides. But I digress. Tonight I was out and it was raining. I was only about a mile or so from home and it was all side-streets home, no thoroughfares. It felt good to be out and it felt good to be on that zippy little bike. It was only a slight drizzle in the air–a mist really–and I had a slight wind to my back. I do not have an odometer on this bike but I’m sure my average hovered around 20mph (32km). And I don’t mean to be redundant in my posts…but why in the world would anyone want to drive a car for such a short distance on such a lovely, albeit somewhat damp, summer’s night? Knowing we are on the backside of summer (and in this area of the world that’s a big deal) I’ve been truly appreciating the balmy weather, especially the nights. And not to sound hokey, but the short ride I had tonight felt almost mystical. To use a pretend and sarcastic quote from previous posts on fixies, I was one with my bike…but this time I meant it.

(On a side note, and evident in the photo: I’m glad that the reflector tape actually works.)

>Zippy Little Bike

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I’ve mentioned in previous posts that I have 5 bikes but really only ride 3 (an old Raleigh and a tandem sit in my basement). My Mundo is my main bike in the summer, the Mule is my main bike in the winter, and the Dahon is my in between bike…meaning I ride it to work most days (it’s easy to store), take it to Toronto with me, and occasionally zip around town on it. And “zip” is a good word because with it’s short wheel base it feels quite zippy. Some days I’ll come home from work and switch from riding my really little bike to my really big bike…talk about contrast in rides. But I digress. Tonight I was out and it was raining. I was only about a mile or so from home and it was all side-streets home, no thoroughfares. It felt good to be out and it felt good to be on that zippy little bike. It was only a slight drizzle in the air–a mist really–and I had a slight wind to my back. I do not have an odometer on this bike but I’m sure my average hovered around 20mph (32km). And I don’t mean to be redundant in my posts…but why in the world would anyone want to drive a car for such a short distance on such a lovely, albeit somewhat damp, summer’s night? Knowing we are on the backside of summer (and in this area of the world that’s a big deal) I’ve been truly appreciating the balmy weather, especially the nights. And not to sound hokey, but the short ride I had tonight felt almost mystical. To use a pretend and sarcastic quote from previous posts on fixies, I was one with my bike…but this time I meant it.

(On a side note, and evident in the photo: I’m glad that the reflector tape actually works.)

Bike Arch

Photo credit:  Tristan Souvier

I came across these photo the other day and thought I’d share them (pretty impressive, right?). It’s a sculpture called “Bike Arch” and were an instillation at the Burning Man festival in 2007. The artist is Mark Grieve and he has plenty other photos–of this and other sculptures–at his site. If you’re into bikes (which you probably are if your at the blog) and if you enjoy art you should take a look.

Photo credit: Ryan Jesena

>Bike Arch

>

Photo credit:  Tristan Souvier

I came across these photo the other day and thought I’d share them (pretty impressive, right?). It’s a sculpture called “Bike Arch” and were an instillation at the Burning Man festival in 2007. The artist is Mark Grieve and he has plenty other photos–of this and other sculptures–at his site. If you’re into bikes (which you probably are if your at the blog) and if you enjoy art you should take a look.

Photo credit: Ryan Jesena

FDR’s Proposed Second Bill of Rights

I just learned of this proposed Bill while watching the new Micheal Moore documentary, Capitalism: A Love Story.  And while this post may not seem like it falls under my traditional criteria of Urban Simplicity, at least not the first two–cooking and biking–it most definitely falls under the third: The Sacred Journey of Everyday Life. Below is a portion of the original speech he gave at the White House in 1944. At the time of the speech he was a sick man and never saw this come to fruition (nor did we). It’s only a two minute clip and I encourage you to watch it. I found it exceptionally moving, especially the last few seconds when he finishes, looks straight into the camera, and lets out a audible sigh as he closes his papers. This is timeless, but at the same time we need these things more than ever. Come on Barack…I still have hope!

>FDR’s Proposed Second Bill of Rights

>

I just learned of this proposed Bill while watching the new Micheal Moore documentary, Capitalism: A Love Story.  And while this post may not seem like it falls under my traditional criteria of Urban Simplicity, at least not the first two–cooking and biking–it most definitely falls under the third: The Sacred Journey of Everyday Life. Below is a portion of the original speech he gave at the White House in 1944. At the time of the speech he was a sick man and never saw this come to fruition (nor did we). It’s only a two minute clip and I encourage you to watch it. I found it exceptionally moving, especially the last few seconds when he finishes, looks straight into the camera, and lets out a audible sigh as he closes his papers. This is timeless, but at the same time we need these things more than ever. Come on Barack…I still have hope!

Bike Becomes Rack

I’ve seen this a few times before and happened to have my camera with me today so I snapped a shot. It’s an old ten-speed that is cemented into someone’s front lawn on Porter Avenue here in Buffalo. The first time I saw this I just assumed it was a sculpture or someone’s personal monument to bicycling. But on other occasions I’ve seen bikes locked to it…a bike that actually became a stationary object to which other bikes can be secured. A bike rack. Ingenious.

>Bike Becomes Rack

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I’ve seen this a few times before and happened to have my camera with me today so I snapped a shot. It’s an old ten-speed that is cemented into someone’s front lawn on Porter Avenue here in Buffalo. The first time I saw this I just assumed it was a sculpture or someone’s personal monument to bicycling. But on other occasions I’ve seen bikes locked to it…a bike that actually became a stationary object to which other bikes can be secured. A bike rack. Ingenious.

Bike Fashion

First off, I just have to say that I apologize in advance if you are a fixie rider. And also that this, being my blog, I get to say what I want. And while I try to keep this blog on a positive note every so often I have to get something off my chest…this is one of those times.

The two bikes pictured above are often seen locked up together on Allen Street very near my house. But they are two of many because it seems as if fixed gear bikes are spawning like mushrooms on a log on a humid summer day. I am convinced that fixed gear bikes are mostly about fashion. And yes, I know, if you are a fixie rider you will argue the point…but dude, it’s like you become one with your bike. Well you will be telling me this ’till you are blue in the face. While they may be novel and fun to ride, I truly believe they are not practical (and can be downright dangerous). Case-in-point, their skinny little handle bars. There is nothing that can convince me that these are not designed purely for fashion. The riders even look uncomfortable to me, the way it makes them sort of hunch their shoulders together. It’s simply another way of peacocking, only this time it’s on wheels going 20 mph…and that can be a little scary.

This is not the first time I’ve posted on fixies…click here and here to read previous posts. I also recommend this article in Wired Magazine, and the book Bike Snob NYC. And again, my apologies as I don’t mean to offend anyone, I just think fashion (of all kinds) can be a bit silly…bike fashion especially. But, on the other hand, I am all for getting people to ride a bike, and if it takes a fixed gear to get you on one then all the power to you. But please be careful and consider getting brakes…trust me your knees will thank you in 15 or 20 years…that’s if you don’t take a header first.

>Bike Fashion

>

First off, I just have to say that I apologize in advance if you are a fixie rider. And also that this, being my blog, I get to say what I want. And while I try to keep this blog on a positive note every so often I have to get something off my chest…this is one of those times.

The two bikes pictured above are often seen locked up together on Allen Street very near my house. But they are two of many because it seems as if fixed gear bikes are spawning like mushrooms on a log on a humid summer day. I am convinced that fixed gear bikes are mostly about fashion. And yes, I know, if you are a fixie rider you will argue the point…but dude, it’s like you become one with your bike. Well you will be telling me this ’till you are blue in the face. While they may be novel and fun to ride, I truly believe they are not practical (and can be downright dangerous). Case-in-point, their skinny little handle bars. There is nothing that can convince me that these are not designed purely for fashion. The riders even look uncomfortable to me, the way it makes them sort of hunch their shoulders together. It’s simply another way of peacocking, only this time it’s on wheels going 20 mph…and that can be a little scary.

This is not the first time I’ve posted on fixies…click here and here to read previous posts. I also recommend this article in Wired Magazine, and the book Bike Snob NYC. And again, my apologies as I don’t mean to offend anyone, I just think fashion (of all kinds) can be a bit silly…bike fashion especially. But, on the other hand, I am all for getting people to ride a bike, and if it takes a fixed gear to get you on one then all the power to you. But please be careful and consider getting brakes…trust me your knees will thank you in 15 or 20 years…that’s if you don’t take a header first.

Things That Can Be Carried On A Bike (#202)…with a few comments.

$82.47 of groceries in two plastic crates.

Uncharacteristically, I’ve displayed a before and after pictures of the Mundo. I did this to show the versitility of the bike…with two crates on the back it really becomes a sort of human powered pickup truck. And yes, this is a cargo bike (there are plenty of companies out there these days designing other types) but there are plenty of ways to get creative and carry stuff on a bike…my point is, it is possible: cargo bike or regular bike (but a cargo bike does make it easier). I’ve had thoughts of a bike like this long before I ever knew that they existed. As a teenager, a friend and I were trying to hatch a plan to cut a bike and weld extention bars to make it longer (not unlike an xtra cycle, I suppose). More recently, shortly before I discovered the Mundo website, I had plans of converting a tandem–which sits in my basement–into a single-person bike with a 4-foot long flatbed on the back. Again, my point is it is possible. Bikes can carry stuff (a lot of stuff), and it’s way more fun than in a car. Parts of Europe and Asia have been doing this for decades…it’s about time we, in North America, catch on (we did, in fact, use bikes for cargo in this country at one time…that is until we fell in love with the automobile). I think if more people used bikes for errands they would be surprised at how much fun it is and what a sense of accomplishment they’d feel. In the case of this load today, for example, if you drove a car to the store and carried home $82 worth of groceries would you consider it a fun or an accomplished task…probably not, but you may just complain at the cost of the prices (I still do that, even on a bike). But if you purchased the same groceries and carried them home on a bike on one of the most breathtakingly beautiful and idyllic days of the summer would you feel any different…well, I think we all know that answer to that one.

>Things That Can Be Carried On A Bike (#202)…with a few comments.

>

$82.47 of groceries in two plastic crates.

Uncharacteristically, I’ve displayed a before and after pictures of the Mundo. I did this to show the versitility of the bike…with two crates on the back it really becomes a sort of human powered pickup truck. And yes, this is a cargo bike (there are plenty of companies out there these days designing other types) but there are plenty of ways to get creative and carry stuff on a bike…my point is, it is possible: cargo bike or regular bike (but a cargo bike does make it easier). I’ve had thoughts of a bike like this long before I ever knew that they existed. As a teenager, a friend and I were trying to hatch a plan to cut a bike and weld extention bars to make it longer (not unlike an xtra cycle, I suppose). More recently, shortly before I discovered the Mundo website, I had plans of converting a tandem–which sits in my basement–into a single-person bike with a 4-foot long flatbed on the back. Again, my point is it is possible. Bikes can carry stuff (a lot of stuff), and it’s way more fun than in a car. Parts of Europe and Asia have been doing this for decades…it’s about time we, in North America, catch on (we did, in fact, use bikes for cargo in this country at one time…that is until we fell in love with the automobile). I think if more people used bikes for errands they would be surprised at how much fun it is and what a sense of accomplishment they’d feel. In the case of this load today, for example, if you drove a car to the store and carried home $82 worth of groceries would you consider it a fun or an accomplished task…probably not, but you may just complain at the cost of the prices (I still do that, even on a bike). But if you purchased the same groceries and carried them home on a bike on one of the most breathtakingly beautiful and idyllic days of the summer would you feel any different…well, I think we all know that answer to that one.

Maya Angelou Quotes

Image found here.

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” 

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”


“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. Don’t complain.” 

 “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” 

“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off of you.”

Click here to go to Maya Angelou’s website.

>Maya Angelou Quotes

>

Image found here.

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” 

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”


“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. Don’t complain.” 

 “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” 

“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off of you.”

Click here to go to Maya Angelou’s website.

Lamb Sausage Recipe with Feta, Parsley, and Rosemary (in pictures with a few comments)

I once read a quote that there are two things a person should not see being made, one was sausage and the other I can’t remember (if anyone is familiar with this quote let me know what the second one is…it’s bothering me). But today, this can’t be true. I think that the thing(s) no one should witness being made would be any sort of processed foods…or even worse, having a tour of a factory-style slaughter house (watch the movie Food Inc.).

On a small scale sausage making really fascinates me. Other than the aid of electric grinders it is done pretty much the same way as it has been for millennia. It began–and still serves the purpose–of not only making something really good to eat, but more so, it utilizes many parts of the animal (the casings are intestines, for one, but also lesser cuts of meat can be made tender by grinding them). And in regards to using an animal’s intestines for the casing…first of all what’s the difference if we eat its muscle (meat) or its intestine (casing)? It’s all from the same animal…both are wholesome. And personally I would rather eat a natural casing than a synthetic one (man made).

The English word sausage is loosely based on the Latin salsus (after a transmutation through Old English as sausige). It’s a word that means “salted” because that’s exactly what it originally was…salted meat (for preservation) that was stuffed in an intestine or animal stomach. Interestingly, other words that have etymological connections to the same the same Latin word are salad, sauce, salt (of course), salsa, and even salary (slaves were paid in salt…hence the phrase, not worth his grain of salt). 

In it’s most basic form sausage is nothing more than ground and seasoned meat, which may or may not be stuffed into a casing (it can, of course, be cooked in a patty shape). One of my favorites of this patty style is a recipe based on a basic kibbeh recipe (lamb and bulgar), but any meat will do (pork is the most obvious choice). For a lamb and bulgar recipe (different than the pictorial recipe below) click here. It’s a recipe I published some time ago and recently found it pirated when I did an ego search. Anyhow here’s the sausage we made today, and no that is not me in the photos…it’s Steve, one of my cooks at work who was learning the fine art of charcuterie. Thanks Steve, great job! (click any photo for a closer look)

>Lamb Sausage Recipe with Feta, Parsley, and Rosemary (in pictures with a few comments)

>

I once read a quote that there are two things a person should not see being made, one was sausage and the other I can’t remember (if anyone is familiar with this quote let me know what the second one is…it’s bothering me). But today, this can’t be true. I think that the thing(s) no one should witness being made would be any sort of processed foods…or even worse, having a tour of a factory-style slaughter house (watch the movie Food Inc.).

On a small scale sausage making really fascinates me. Other than the aid of electric grinders it is done pretty much the same way as it has been for millennia. It began–and still serves the purpose–of not only making something really good to eat, but more so, it utilizes many parts of the animal (the casings are intestines, for one, but also lesser cuts of meat can be made tender by grinding them). And in regards to using an animal’s intestines for the casing…first of all what’s the difference if we eat its muscle (meat) or its intestine (casing)? It’s all from the same animal…both are wholesome. And personally I would rather eat a natural casing than a synthetic one (man made).

The English word sausage is loosely based on the Latin salsus (after a transmutation through Old English as sausige). It’s a word that means “salted” because that’s exactly what it originally was…salted meat (for preservation) that was stuffed in an intestine or animal stomach. Interestingly, other words that have etymological connections to the same the same Latin word are salad, sauce, salt (of course), salsa, and even salary (slaves were paid in salt…hence the phrase, not worth his grain of salt). 

In it’s most basic form sausage is nothing more than ground and seasoned meat, which may or may not be stuffed into a casing (it can, of course, be cooked in a patty shape). One of my favorites of this patty style is a recipe based on a basic kibbeh recipe (lamb and bulgar), but any meat will do (pork is the most obvious choice). For a lamb and bulgar recipe (different than the pictorial recipe below) click here. It’s a recipe I published some time ago and recently found it pirated when I did an ego search. Anyhow here’s the sausage we made today, and no that is not me in the photos…it’s Steve, one of my cooks at work who was learning the fine art of charcuterie. Thanks Steve, great job! (click any photo for a closer look)

Take The Pledge (we really need it)

This site/campaign has been all over Facebook this past week. It is overtly suggested towards people in the U.S., the biggest gas guzzlers on the planet, but I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt if others took this pledge as well…we may live in separate countries–and indeed have distinct languages and cultures–but we are all connected and part of the same human race.

I recently played the “car passenger game” while riding my bike, meaning I looked at cars as they passed to see how many had more than the driver in them. I only rode about a mile or so, and it was during rush hour so there were a lot of cars, but I kid-you-not that during the entire mile of pedaling I only saw 3 or 4 cars with more than the driver in them…one person each in those enormous metal shells. If everyone feels the need to be propelled (alone) by a gas-fed vehicle maybe we should all ride Vespas…it would be more efficient and way more fun on a hot summer’s day.

Anyhow, I also have to mention (confess) something during this blog post. Here I am babbling on about a Weekend Without Oil and I actually drove my truck today (alone; the only person in it)…only 4 times in the last 6 weeks, but felt like I had to mention this as I sat on my high horse talking about Vespas and bikes.

To take the pledge, click here. What I find interesting is that the items/actions they suggest (the criteria for the pledge) are not that difficult, sort of common sense in many respects…and if you are a regular reader of this blog something tells me that this will not be that difficult of a pledge to take. Maybe we should collectively take this pledge once a month…just imagine.

I’ve really been feeling lately how it is truly up to us (the people alive on this planet right now) to do something, however big or small…even the smallest steps will make a difference. This is our legacy…this is what we are leaving for our future generations. To put it a different way, imagine what it would be like if we knew that our grandparents or great grandparents knew back then what we know now–that our actions can have a direct impact on the planet and generations to come–and they did nothing about it. I personally do not want to be that ancestor. I hope that everyone reading this takes the pledge (or as much of it as they are able), we need it more than ever.

I’d be interested to hear what others thought about this site and their suggested pledge.